The Crab Callaloo (Calalou de crabe)

As previously seen in my post on the dasheen (“Madère” in Guadeloupe Archipelago), the leaves are also edible. In fact, there is a famous traditional Easter dish with the leaves called the Crab Callaloo (“Calalou de crabe” in French). Here is the recipe of the Crab Callaloowhich is usually served with white rice.

Ingredients for 4-6 people

– 10 dasheen leaves

– 200 g of spinach

– 10 okras

– 400g of pumpkins

– 3 pig tails

– 6 crabs

– 4 slices of smoked bacon

– A large onion

– A bunch of spring onions (4-5)

– Fresh thyme

– Fresh parsley

– 2 cloves of garlic

– 2 tablespoon of vegetal oil

– 1 hot chilli pepper (optional)

– 600ml of water

– Salt

– Pepper

Instructions

Wash the dasheen leaves and stems, the okras, the spinach and the crabs

Peel and dice the pumpkins

Take off the peduncles and ends of the okras and slice them

Peel and chop the onion, spring onions and the garlic

Wash and dice finely the parsley

Blanch and dice the bacon and pig tails

In a fried pan put a tablespoon of oil and cook the crabs with half of the spices (2 spring onions, half of the onion, 1clove of garlic, some parsley, thyme and pepper) and the bacon. Cook everything for about 5 minutes and set aside

In a pot, fried the other half of spices and add all the vegetables (dasheen leaves and stems, the okras, the spinach and the pumpkins). Let cook during 5 minutes

Add the pig tails, 500ml of water and simmer for about 25 minutes

When the vegetables are tender, turn off the heat, take off the pig tails and put the vegetables in a blender to make a creamy soup

Put back the mixture over low heat and add 100ml of water remaining

At this stage add the pig tails, the crabs preparation you set aside earlier and the hot chilli pepper and simmer for about 20 minutes. Don’t bring it to boil

At the end adjust the salt according to your taste, but normally the pig tails and bacon are very salty and should be sufficient beforehand